Serves 6

190g pitted dates (about 15 large dates)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml boiling water

100g unsalted butter, room temp

140g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar

2 eggs, room temp

1 tsp sea salt

180g (1 1/2 cups) self raising flour

Extra butter and flour, to grease the tin

Butterscotch Sauce

200g (1 cup lightly packed) light brown sugar

125g unsalted butter

100g thickened cream

1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat an oven to 180c. Chop the dates into roughly 1cm pieces. Place the dates in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and pour the boiling water over the top. Let sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and the colour lightens. Beat in eggs and sea salt until combined. Fold in self raising flour until just combined. Once 30 minutes has elapsed, add the date mixture in three additions, fully incorporating the mixture between each addition.

Prepare your baking tin/dish by buttering and flouring the sides, and lining the bottom with some baking paper. This recipe makes one large pudding in a 22cm x 22cm square tin, or you can use individual tins/moulds.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Once the pudding is in the oven, prepare your butterscotch sauce. Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat on a stove. Once boiling, add cream and sea salt, and boil whilst stirring continuously for three minutes. Transfer to a serving jug.

Once the pudding is cooked, invert to remove from tin, portion into pieces, and serve topped with vanilla ice cream and warm butterscotch sauce.